Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.5 A Snapshot Context Composed between 1804-1808, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is not only one of his most famous works, but it’s also one of the most well-known works in the Western Classical Music canon. The Fifth Symphony premiered on 22nd December 1808 in an Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No.1 Context Few popular large scale works have taken longer to compose than Johannes Brahms’ First Symphony. The German composer spent just over 21 years to end with what we know as his First Symphony. Sketches for the symphony date back to 1854, with the premiere of Read more…
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No.4 Context Composed in 1935, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fourth Symphony is one of his most dissonant and dramatic. The work was dedicated to fellow composer, Arnold Bax. Many think of Vaughan Williams as a ‘pastoral’ composer, with his works oozing modality, melodic excitement and English folk Read more…
Paul Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber Context Born in November 1895 in Hanau, Paul Hindemith engaged with music at a young age. Starting with playing the violin, Hindemith later attended Frankfurt’s Hoch’sche Konservatorium, where he studied violin performance with Adolf Rebner. Further to this, Hindemith Read more…
Carl Nielsen: Symphony No.2 ‘The Four Temperaments’ Context Carl Nielsen was born in 1865 on the island of Funen (the third-largest island that is a part of Denmark). The Nielsen family were incredibly poor, however, his parents were keen musicians, with his father playing cornet and his mother, a singer. Read more…
Rued Langgaard: Symphony No. 1 “Klippepastoraler” Context Rued Langgaard was born in 1893 to a pair of highly musical parents. His father, Siegfriend Langgaard was a known composer and highly skilled chamber musician, and his mother Emma Langgaard was also a highly skilled pianist. It was his mother who introduced Read more…
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in Eb Major Context Following on from the popular Baroque Concerto Grosso form, the Classical period’s successor came in the form of the Sinfonia Concertante. A form that celebrates clear soloistic roles from several soloists, creating thrilling double, triple and even quadruple concertos. Particularly favoured Read more…
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 103 ‘Drumroll’ Context Joseph Haydn was born in 1732 in Rahrau, Austria, where he was brought up listening to and performing folk-music. As he grew up he showed musical talent, and his parents sent him away to be trained as a professional musician. After struggling as Read more…
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.9 Movement IV Referring back to Bernstein’s theory that every movement represents a farewell to an aspect of life (read more in the previous blog), this movement is a farewell to life itself. The form of the finale can be read in two different ways, either as a Read more…
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.9 Movement III In his introduction to the symphonic works of Gustav Mahler, Leonard Bernstein claims that each movement of the Ninth Symphony is a farewell in itself, which then feeds into the overriding themes of farewell and death. The first movement is a farewell to passion and Read more…